At the Beginning with You
by winglessfairy25
Summary: [UPDATED!] Are promises really meant to be broken? [MxN][AU] It's much more than the summary. ]
1. Prologue

**At the Beginning with You**

Author's Notes: Hi people.. This is my first fan fiction.. I hope I get reviews from you guys.. hehe.. Anyways, I hope you like this.. The idea just hit me when I was spending a day with my best friend.. So much for that.. Please review on this.. I accept criticisms, flames, comments and such.. Please tell me if I should continue with this.. I can actually delete this.. This fic is AU or set in the Alternate Universe. They have no alices.

**Disclaimer: **I only own my cell phone, computer, laptop, iPod, DVDs, ATM/bank Account and anime stickers and posters. Sadly, I don't own Gakuen Alice.. I wish I could have it for my birthday.. sigh

"Text here" character's lines

'Text here" character's thoughts

(Text here) me, speaking

**Prologue**

"_Bits and pieces of life are better shared with someone you truly care about..." _

"Natsume-kun…" Murmured Mikan in her sleep.

Mikan Sakura. 16 years of age, auburn hair, chocolate eyes. Her skin has a fair complexion and with her curves and beautiful body, many boys at her school want ask her out. But she just ignores them, because her heart belongs to someone. She's the usual kind and cheery girl everyone knows. Always smiling, laughing with her friends. She's really smart but she's just too dense and naïve. But people don't know she carries something painful deep inside her heart. A memory not yet forgotten…

She instantly got up when she heard her alarm clock.

"Stupid alarm clock. Always disturbing my sleep." She yells as she got the alarm clock and threw it in the nearest bean bag. "Oops, my bad" she managed to say as she heard the hard plastic of her alarm clock crack.

"Natsume-kun…" these words escaped her lips. As she realized what she said, she got up and tried to cheer up herself.

"I should not be thinking of him! He's just a stupid jerk who broke a promise!" she said triumphantly. 'But, I guess, I do miss him... Baka! You haven't seen him for years now!' she mentally scolded herself. (You'll find out more on Natsume later on)

"Madame, breakfast is ready." Says her personal maid, Nancy.

"I'll be right there." She said as she proceeded in her shower room, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of her beloved ex-best friend, according to her, who is Natsume.

Mikan took her shower and got out her uniform. She then changed and she went out to eat her breakfast.

"Morning mom, dad." She said as she approached the table. She went to her usual seat on the table which was right across her mom's.

"Good morning mom, dad. And to you too, sis" said Tsubasa, her older brother as he ruffled her hair, sitting right beside her.

"Hey, what was that for?!" she yelled as she glared at her brother. Tsubasa just chuckled at her little sister's expression. Even though she is now sixteen years of age, she still acted like a child, as her brother says.

Tsubasa. 18 years of age, a 2nd year college student in Alice Academy. (Remember, they don't have alices)

When they finished eating their breakfast, they both got up and waved good bye to their parents.

Mikan is now in 4th year high school, but she still acted as a kid and her brother is very overprotective of her. Whenever he heard a rumor of someone who wants to court his sister, he'll threaten the poor guy. Guys are afraid to ask Mikan out because of Tsubasa. He would drive them both to school and they would go home from school together. He would fetch Mikan from her last class. He even memorized Mikan's class schedule. What a brother he truly is, huh?

They both got inside his car and they were both silent during the 15-minute ride. She got out and waved at her brother while Tsubasa just gave a smile at Mikan. On her way to class, Mikan went to the Elementary Division where a Sakura Tree was located. She went over to the Sakura tree and sat underneath it, enjoying the breeze of the wind and the sound of the birds chirping. She was too early to go to class. It was 6:30 in the morning. 30 minutes before classes start. She just sat there as old memories of her and Natsume flooded her mind.

'Oh, Natsume, why did you have to leave? And you are breaking your promise.' She thought, tears forming in the brim of her eyes.

'Baka! You should not be thinking of your ex-best friend. He promised he would come back but he didn't. You should not cry over him.' She mentally slapped herself.

She got up, while wiping her tears with her handkerchief. She then proceeded to the high school division, with the memories of Natsume still lingering in her mind…

A/N: Yay! The prologue is now up! Please review. I accept flames, criticisms and everything! A 'nice fanfic' comment would do. Please pinpoint my mistakes. This is the prologue for my first fanfic. The next chapter will explain everything. Please review. I want to improve on my writing skills, if I have any, that is. Thanks for my friends here at for always supporting me! Ja!

Erinn

Next Chapter… Chapter 1: Promises are Meant to be Broken..


	2. Important Please Read

Important:

I would like to say sorry to my dear readers for not updating. I promise I would update this summer. But you see I'm hesitating if I should continue.

A certain someone told me that my writing sucks and in this person's opinion, I should not continue with it. That person said it personally and I am deeply hurt. So, I would like to ask you guys if you want me to continue. At first, I said to myself that I should and that I won't take that person's opinion seriously but, again, I would like to ask you guys.

Thank you very much. Please state your answer in a review.

Erinn


	3. 1 Promises are Meant to be Broken

**At the Beginning with You**

**Author:** winglessfairy25 - Erinn

**Anime:** Gakuen Alice

**Rating:** K

**Status:** In Progress

**Spoilers:** None, I guess.

**Pairings:** Implied Natsumikan Natsume Hyuuga and Mikan Sakura; hints of Rukaru Ruka Nogi and Hotaru Imai and Tsubasa and Misaki

**Author's Note:** Hi people! I'm back! Yeah.. Sorry for the very long wait. Hope you guys understand!

**Disclaimer:** Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana. **IF** I did own it, I wouldn't be here writing **_fan_**fiction now, would I?

"Text here" – Conversations

'Text here' – Thoughts

**Chapter 1**

Promises are Meant to be Broken

Silence. Silence remained in the dead of the night. Everything seems to be a blur. All that she could see is a faint image of someone with crimson orbs and jet black hair. She stared at the blurry image before her. Slowly, ever so slowly, the image is becoming a still image and not just a blur. _'I know this person…_' Just as she was about to see clearly the image right before her, the still image of the young lad was engulfed in bright red flames, taunting her.

"no… No… NO!"

"Natsume-kun!"

Mikan's eyes shot open. _'Ouch. My head hurts.'_ It was all a bad dream, a nightmare. Tears were brimming in the corners of her eyes. She burst out crying.

"Mikan! What happened to you?" Tsubasa asked as he stormed into her sister's room.

"Oh onii-san.! I dreamt of… of…-"Mikan tried to answer, stuttering.

'_This is not good. Every once in a while now, she's been having dreams of **him**'_

"Shhhh. It's just a bad dream, Mikan. Now, get back to sleep. If you want, I'll sleep here with you, okay?" Tsubasa reassured her.

'Okay, nee-san. Arigato."

The siblings drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Gah! I'm late. I'm late. I'm definitely late!" Mikan screamed. She looked at her new clock, it read 7:25. 

"School starts at 7! Why didn't Tsubasa wake me up?!" She pondered.

"Oi, sleepy head, come down! Breakfast is ready." Tsubasa's voice came from downstairs.

"I'll be right there in 10. And I'm not a sleepy head, baka." Mikan yelled by her door so Tsubasa can hear her. Tsubasa just chuckled at her sister's actions.

Mikan dashed to the bathroom. She was really late this time. Maybe she can't attend her first period. At least it's Math. No, she's gotta be kidding. Math is with Jinno-sensei. She's ought to be killed. In ten minutes, just like she said, she was at the dining table.

"Morning mom and—"Mikan started. "—where are Mom and Dad?"

"They're on a business trip, remember?" Tsubasa said, placing the food on the table.

"Oh yeah. I forgot." Mikan mentally slapped her forehead. Mikan and Tsubasa were now silently eating when…

"Onii-san! Why didn't you wake me up? Now, I'm definitely late. And what are you still doing here? Mikan suddenly burst out, remembering that she was late.

"First, sleepy head, I'm still here because today, classes start at 9. That's why I didn't wake you up. And we are not late. We are really early today. Anymore questions?" Tsubasa finished, taking a bite of his Vienna sausage.

"Uh… I forgot! There's a program today at school, right?" Mikan stated, completely ignoring that she was called a sleepy head.

"No, silly. The graduating students have practices. And that includes you." Tsubasa said with a smirk. They were now, again, eating silently. Both got up and went towards their car. As usual, Tsubasa's driving.

"Wait. I forgot my watch. I'll be back in a sec." Mikan said, getting out of the car, running toward her room.

'_Which watch, which watch, which watch?'_

"Got it!" Mikan said as she grabbed her black watch. It was a silver round watch with a black background and strap with red and orange flame designs. She put it on and remembered.

'_This watch is... Well, whatever.'_

* * *

The trip to the school was quiet. Mikan just kept humming to the tunes on Tsubasa's CDs. He pulled off and was greeted by a very warm smile just as he got out of his car. 

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Tsubasa-kun!"

"Ohayo, Misaki."

"Hi, Misaki-nee-chan."

"Hello. Mikan-chan!'

Misaki is Tsubasa's best friend. They have been together for like, forever. Although they say they're just best friends, Mikan knows that there's something deeper between those two. She silently wished they would just admit to each other that they like, more like love each other.

Misaki dragged Tsubasa all the way to their school building.

"You said you were coming really early today to help us with the decorations but you're the last to come!" Misaki practically screamed to Tsubasa's face.

Mikan ran to the High School Division building. In the hallways, she found her friends.

"Ohayo, minna-san!"

"Ohayo, Mikan-chan."

"Wow, Mikan! You're really early today." Yuu said as they all took a seat in one of the benches.

"Yeah, Mikan. I thought you were going to be late, again." Koko said while laughing.

Mikan just looked at them and sweat dropped.

"Minna, (everyone) where is Hotaru and Ruka-pyon?" Mikan asked.

"Maybe they're both late." Anna chimed.

"Nope. Hotaru's blackmailing poor Ruka again. They're running all around the campus this morning." Nonoko stated.

"Come on, guys. Let's go to our classroom. We'll just stay there until 9 and then let's head for the auditorium." Yuu suggested.

The group was heading towards the classroom when they saw two familiar figures, also heading there.

"Hotaru! Ruka-pyon!" Mikan waved at the two.

They got to the classroom and there were only a few students. After all, it was just 8:47. Their classes are to be cut off at 4 pm to let the others decorate the auditorium. Graduation day really is near. At 9, they started their practice and ended at around 4.

Mikan went to the College Division and was looking for her brother, Tsubasa.

"Kaname-sempai, have you seen onii-san?" she politely asked Kaname, her brother's friend.

"I think he's with Misaki in our classroom. You might want to check it out." Kaname answered as he walked down the halls.

Mikan went straight to Tsubasa's classroom. When she got there, she found her brother sleeping in his chair. _'Maybe he really didn't sleep well last night and he even got up early to cook breakfast. Maybe I'll just go to the Sakura Tree to relax a bit.'_

* * *

Mikan sat underneath the Sakura Tree in the Elementary Division. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air and the cold breeze. She tilted her head to the trunk of the tree and gazed above the sky. It was a very fine and sunny day, just like that of five years ago… 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Nee, Natsume…" A young Mikan stated, looking at the person above her. It was a fine day and she and her best friend were sitting in the Sakura Tree. Natsume was perched in a branch of the tree while she was sitting on the grass just underneath the said branch.

"Hnn." came the reply of Natsume.

"Is it true that you are leaving?" Mikan asked, curious if the rumors were indeed true.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?!?" Mikan shot at her best friend who was now sitting beside her.

"Whatever." came the very bored tone of Natsume.

"I'm your best friend and yet, I'm always the last to know about the things concerning you." Mikan stated with a hint of sadness in her voice. She was now looking down at the grass, her bangs covering her eyes.

Natsume felt a pang of guilt surge on his insides. She was right. She was always the last to know about the things that concern him. _'I just don't want to see you upset because of me, Mikan.'_

Something different came from his lips. "You'll just start to cry, baka." _'I don't' want to see you cry because of me.'_

"You're as cruel as ever, Natsume you aho!" Mikan stated while getting up wiping the tears away with the back of her hand and now she was about to run when suddenly, a hand gripped her right arm. It was Natsume.

"What are you—"she started as she looked at Natsume. She was pulled in a tight embrace by none other than her best friend.

"Shhh. Don't cry. I hate it when I see you cry." Natsume whispered in her ear. _'Pull back! Push him away!'_ But no. Her heart contradicted her mind. She just melted into his warm embrace, wrapping her frail arms around his back. Mikan continued to cry on his chest, until Mikan looked up to him.

"Please… Please Natsume. Don't—don't leave." Mikan managed to say in between her sobs.

"Gomen, Mikan. I'm very sorry. I just have to leave." Natsume answered in a low voice, in a whisper almost inaudible.

Mikan tightened her grip on Natsume's shirt as if not letting him go. Natsume just buried his head on Mikan's hair, inhaling her scent as if memorizing it.

The warm embrace of the best friends lasted for a couple of minutes until both pulled away, a tinge of red visible on both of their cheeks. It was pretty quiet for a while. Auburn met crimson and Natsume decided to break the silence.

"Mikan… I –uh... I want you to be happy after I go, okay? I want you to stay happy. I'll be back before you know it. I'll be back before we graduate from high school."

"Natsume... I'll always be happy for you. Promise me that you'll come back before high school graduation. Promise?"

"I promise you, Mikan."

Both sat down on the grass, enjoying each other's company. Natsume pulled something from his pocket. It was some sort of a gift. He handed it to Mikan.

"What's this?

"Open it." Natsume instructed. Mikan slowly opened the black box and it revealed a watch. It was a silver round watch with a black background and strap with red and orange flame designs.

"This is—"Mikan started but was cut off by Natsume's statement.

"—the watch you wanted for your birthday. I though I'd give it to you now."

"Thank you very much, Natsume." He put the watch on Mikan's left wrist and both stared at it.

Natsume wrapped his arm around Mikan's waist and she just leaned her head on his shoulders. Mikan looked at her new watch. It read 4:23.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Did I fall asleep again?" Mikan asked particularly to nobody. _'Oh yeah. I was resting here. Maybe I really did fall asleep.'_ She remembered her dream. No. It was not a dream.

_'It's the exact same thing that happened here almost five years ago 'til this very date.'_

Mikan sighed. Tsubasa must be looking for her. She looked at her watch. It was the same thing that she saw. Her black watch read 4:23 p.m.

'_Natsume… Promises really are just meant to be broken, huh?'_

She picked up her bag and left the Sakura Tree, sighing once more. It was a fine and clear day, yet she thinks it's going to rain today.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who reviewed and told me that I should continue. I just felt the urge to write. Chapter 3 is in the process now. Maybe I'll post chapter 3 after a few reviews and such.. I've become a stronger person thanks to all of you.. Comments, suggestions, criticisms and flames are really welcomed. I won't get upset now even if someone says that my writing sucks.. Sorry for the very very long wait.. I hope this chapter compensates for that.! There were a lot of intrusions while I was writing this chapter. My niece came in to my room and she fell asleep and when she woke up, I just had to put her back to sleep again. And my brother kept on bugging me on what I was writing and my godfather came to our house. Lolz.. I'm very sorry for the mistakes if there are any. Also, sorry for the OOC-ness of Mikan and the other characters, especially Natsume. 

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to write! I'll update soon I guess since it's already summer. Again, Thank you very much to everyone! littledoggy, syafica, lysabelle, dbzgtfan2004, natsumeluvr, sakura4594, crazygirl18, honey kun, SnowCharms, Jai-jai XD, KaTLeYa KaSSaNdRA KaReN LiN, TigerlilyandHummingbird, li'l kitty, dawn, Sakura-chan0610, sherea, cupidsangel, tamahits, artemisx07, Sweetneko-chan, cuteanimelover, and everyone else! Gotta eat now. I skipped supper just to write this.. hehe.. BTW, do you understand the last line in the chapter? If not, please tell me. Thanks again..

Erinn


	4. 2 Fortification

**At the Beginning with You**

**Author:** winglessfairy25 - Erinn

**Anime:** Gakuen Alice

**Rating:** K

**Status:** In Progress

**Spoilers:** None, I guess.

**Pairings:** Natsumikan (Natsume Hyuuga and Mikan Sakura); hints of Rukaru (Ruka Nogi and Hotaru Imai) and Tsubasa and Misaki

**Author's Notes:** Hi guys! I'm back.. So, yeah.. This is another chapter for this fan fiction and I'm glad with all the reviews that I have received and will receive.. XD Here goes nothing! I long that you like this chapter though I think it might turn out to be boring. Some flashbacks would be included in this chapter. And watch out for the twist! I just want to clarify things, okay?

Tsubasa's batch – 2nd Year College

Mikan's batch – 4th Year High School, Graduating, Incoming College

Youichi's batch – 5th Grade in Elementary

**Disclaimer:** I simply **do not** own Gakuen Alice and the other characters. They are the great work of our dear Higuchi Tachibana-sensei. If I do own it, I wouldn't be here writing err… typing **_fan_** fiction now, would I.?

"Text here" – Conversations

'Text here' – Thoughts

(Text here) – Me Talking

**At the Beginning with You**

Fortification

Today is Friday, the final day of graduation practice for the students in the Alice Academy. This is the last day that Mikan and her other batch mates would see the High School Division of the said school. After all, they would be enrolled in college for the next school year. Mikan sighed. She was actually bored this time. Yuu, Nonoko, Anna and Koko were all in the canteen, eating their lunches. Ruka's still running after Hotaru all around the campus. And she was there in that particular Sakura Tree in the Elementary Division, just sulking and reminiscing the good times. It was their supposed break time from practice since the other students would start decorating the auditorium for the Baccalaureate Rites they were having tomorrow. A sigh escaped her lips again, almost inaudible. The others asked her if she wanted to have lunch with them but she just refused, saying that she was still full but her friends know it was just a lie. After all, Mikan would never miss a chance to eat. After that day under the same Sakura Tree, she just can't bring herself to eat. Even Tsubasa and Nancy scolded her for it. Memories of him would just flood into her mind, all of a sudden making her want to cry. Mikan gazed into the far sky above her. It was a fine day but the fog hasn't cleared for her.

"Mikan-nee-san…"

"Mikan-nee-san."

"Mikan-nee-san!"

Mikan snapped out of her reverie. She looked up; it was just Youichi, her friend from the Elementary Division. He was just in the 5th Grade.

"Hi You-chan!" Mikan said, flashing a fake smile.

"Mikan-nee-san, is something bothering you?" asked Youichi, sitting beside her on the grass.

"It's nothing, Youichi. What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you and Ruka-nii-san said that you were probably here at the Sakura Tree so I came here." Youichi politely answered.

"Oh. Why were you looking for me?" Mikan asked again, curious of the young boy's intentions.

"Well, Mikan-nee-san, since you're graduating and you're now going into college, I made something for you…" Youichi paused, handing Mikan a neatly wrapped box. "…Open it." He continued.

Mikan slowly unwrapped the box and she found a small teddy bear in it. She was sure Youichi made it. It had loose strings on the sides. But she just ignored that. It was given to her by Youichi. Mikan gave Youichi a friendly hug and whispered in his ear. "Arigato, You-chan." Mikan pulled away, brushing the tears from her eyes. Youichi said his goodbyes and ran along, leaving Mikan alone again with a teddy bear for company.

_'How did I exactly meet You-chan? Oh, yeah. It was two years ago in this Sakura Tree. This tree sure does have a lot of memories connected to it, both good and bad memories.'_ A frown found its way in Mikan's expression, remembering the bad memories.

* * *

'_Oh crap. That history test Narumi-sensei made us take was really hard'_ Mikan thought to herself. _'Then again, if I did study for that test, I would pass but I only skimmed the book and I didn't even take notes on those Asian Civilizations. It's hard being a 2nd year student!'_ she added as an after thought.

'_If Natsume were here, I'm sure he would help me out, even if he does it with cruelty.' _Mikan winced at the thought. _'He was really cold to me. He and Tsubasa always got into fights and simple arguments. I dunno why but Tsuabsa said that I shouldn't wait for him to come back. He said that Natsume won't come back but I believe that Natsume won't break his promise. A promise is a promise and I know it. But it's been three years.'_ at the thought of Natsume leaving, tears started to flow from her eyes, slowly rolling down her cheeks.

"Nee-chan, here." A young lad came up to her, offering his own handkerchief for her to take.

"Iie, arigato." She answered, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

"Take it nee-chan." The boy said, insisting. She took the handkerchief and wiped her tears away with it.

"Here. Thank you." She said, folding the handkerchief and giving it back.

"It's yours, you can keep it, nee-chan." The young boy said, sitting down. Mikan was silent for a while. She looked up at the lovely sky and sighed. The boy, noticing this, asked her.

"Nee-chan, daijobou ka?" (Nee-chan, are you ok?)

"Hai! Never felt better!" she replied, flashing a smile. "Ne, onamae wa?" (Ne, what's you name?) She asked.

"Gomenasai. Watashiwa Youchi-desu. Hajimemashite. I'm just new and I'm in the 3rd grade." (Sorry. I'm Youichi. It's a pleasure to meet you.)

"Watashiwa Mikan-desu." (I'm Mikan.) she said, offering a hand to Youichi. Youichi shook her hand and a small smile crept upon his features.

"Kawaii!!!" Mikan squealed. (Cute) There was a long moment of silence before Youichi spoke.

"Ne, Mikan-nee-chan, why were you crying?"

"I just remembered something, You-chan. You're in 3rd grade, right? Well, I'm a sophomore here. I have to go now. My brother might be looking for me. Thanks for the help, You-chan. Ja-ne!" With that she ran off while waving at Youichi.

_'This tree sure has a lot of memories. Oh, yeah. Break time is almost over. If I'm late at the auditorium, Jinno-sensei would just yell at me like he always does.'_ She ran back to the auditorium, passing through the High School Division and into the back of the school. All of her classmates were now gathered outside, preparing for their practice.

* * *

_'Where is Tsubasa? He said that he'd be at the classroom but he's not there. Practice is now over. Oh wait. Maybe he's at the auditorium.'_ Mikan thought as she was looking for Tsubasa.

"There you are, onii-san!"

"Oi, Mikan-chan. I can't drive you home today. I'll stay here to finish the decorations for the Baccalaureate Rites tomorrow. You go ahead and call for Nancy to pick you up." Tsubasa stated.

"I'll just go home by myself. I'm old enough, Tsubasa. You're always babying me." Mikan said as she pouted. (kawaii.!!!)

"Come on, Mikan. Mom will surely kill me if she found out that you went home by yourself." Tsubasa retaliated.

"Come on, Andou. You're being over protective of Mikan. She's about to enter college, you know. You shouldn't baby Mikan. Right, Mikan-chan?" Misaki said, looking at Mikan with a wink while Mikan just nodded. (Andou is Tsubasa's second name. I just made it that way.)

"They're conspiring against me." Tsuabsa mumbled under his breath.

"What was that, Andou?" Misaki asked.

"Nothing. You run along now, Mikan. Don't make any side trips, okay?"

"Hai." Mikan answered and left the building.

Mikan was now taking a stroll at the local park, taking a 'short cut' on her way home. She just wanted to see the sunset. They say it was seen best at the park. It was not a side trip. After all, it was on her way home.

'Okay. Yosh! I'll just sit here so I can see the setting sun.' Mikan thought while sitting down on a park bench.

Just as she was to look up, she noticed a shadow was blocking her view of the sun. She couldn't see much of the boy standing just across her. All she could see was an image of a shadow. After all, he was standing so Mikan couldn't see his face.

"May I sit down here?" the boy said, pointing to an empty seat beside Mikan. He was a tall boy, roughly around Mikan's age. He was wearing a black shirt and a pair of jeans. And to accompany his look, he was wearing sun glasses. He also had the same watch as Mikan, though our young girl didn't notice this. She was too busy looking at the setting sun right before her. She didn't even bother to glance his way. She just simply nodded her head and continued to gaze at the lovely sun, painting the sky from clear blue to shades of pink, red, yellow and orange. It reminded her of the flames on her watch. Mikan lost track of time. Slowly, the shades of red turned to a dark blue sky, almost violet. She was about to stand up when she heard an all too familiar voice.

"It was nice to see you again, Mikan. Now you know that I won't break a promise. Goodbye."

Mikan froze. That was Natsume's voice. But where is he? She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the boy sitting next to her leave. Then it hit her. The boy sitting right next to her _is_ Natsume. She isn't mistaken this time. She abruptly stood, then looked at the direction of the boy.

"Natsume-kun!" _This is now or never, Mikan._

"Natsume-kun!" _You have to speak to him now, Mikan._ She was running after the boy.

"Natsume, matte kudasai!" (Please wait) she yelled after the boy. The boy stopped in his tracks and looked at her, flashing his trademark smirk. With that, she froze, dead in her tracks. Tears were now cascading down her cheeks. Little by little, Natsume approached her and wiped the tears off her face. She just closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. Gripping his arm, she just pulled him to a tight embrace, leaning her head on his chest. _'I wish this would last forever.' 'Gomenasai, Mikan. Sorry to have kept you waiting.'_ Natsume gradually pulled away and walked ahead, leaving a stunned Mikan. She looked at the boy's retreating form and she saw the sign. Natsume just raised is his right arm, signaling his departure.

'_I'm so glad I made this side trip. We'll meet again, Natsume-kun. We'll definitely meet again. Now, partially, the fog has cleared.'_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** So, how was that? I did this in two parts. LOL. The title is 'Fortification', meaning protection.. You know, how Tusbasa's an over protective brother.. This actually turned out differently from what I had anticipated. The over protective thing came from my Three, yeah, 3 older brothers. They're really overprotective of me since I'm the only girl. Lol. Well, Natsume made it to the big picture now and so did Youichi.!!!!

Thank you to my reviewers: Sakura-chan0610, lysabelle, cupidsangel, HeArTsAnDLeMoNs, KaTLeYa KaSSaNdRA KaReN LiN, ayaxrei fan143, sherea, may520, SnowCharms, WhytePhoenix23, russianpopprincess, aiko, glenda23.

Special Thanks to my dear brothers, xXmizukazeXx and russianpopprincess.. Thanks for the inspiration!

Erinn


	5. 3 Mata Kimi ni Aitai

**  
At the Beginning with You**

**Author:** winglessfairy25 - Erinn

**Anime:** Gakuen Alice

**Rating:** K +(Rating's changed just to be safe. I apologize for the choice of some words in this chapter.)

**Status:** In Progress

**Spoilers:** None, I guess.

**Pairings:** Implied Natsumikan (Natsume Hyuuga and Mikan Sakura); hints of Rukaru (Ruka Nogi and Hotaru Imai) and Tsubasa and Misaki

**Author's Notes:** Hi guys. Life's been a drag lately. When I got back from my well-deserved vacation in the province, it was my brother's oath taking. Then I had to enroll at school. Around noon a few days later, I received the news that my childhood friend in the US died of a car accident. Matt was like a brother to me. Then, I could not think right because of that incident. The next day, I went to the pool to relax and because of the stress, I ended up having a fever in the middle of summer. I couldn't write and do anything properly at that time. Then I was in a state of depression. I attended some formal occasions and was forced to wear something like a skirt, which I didn't like. Then a few days ago, we had a family gathering. And I had a writer's block. Life's been a drag. Please bear with me. Thank you.

Tsubasa's batch – 2nd Year College

Mikan's batch – 4th Year High School, Graduating, Incoming College

Youichi's batch – 5th Grade in Elementary

**Disclaimer:** I simply **do not** own Gakuen Alice and the other characters. They are the great work of our dear Higuchi Tachibana-sensei. If I do own it, I wouldn't be here writing err… typing _**fan**_ fiction now, would I? I also **do not** own some random songs that might pop out somewhere.

"Text here" – Conversations

'_Text here'_ – Thoughts

(Text here) – Me Talking

This chapter is dedicated to my dear childhood friend, Matt. I'll really miss you, _kuya_.

**At the Beginning with You**

Mata Kimi ni Aitai

"Tsubasa Andou Sakura! You come down here right this instant!"

"Wait a sec mother!" Tsubasa yelled from his room. _'Geez, someone's cranky tonight.'_

"Tsubasa! Come down here right NOW!" Tsubasa came down after that. Their mother never used that tone on him, well, never used it until she was angry at him. Big trouble's brewing…

"What is it mother?"

"Where is your sister, Andou?" _'Gah. She never uses my second name unless…'_

"She's in her room, mom. I think…"

"You think, Andou? Well, your sister is not in her room or in any other part of the house. We have looked everywhere besides your room."

Tsubasa just stood there, somewhat shocked. She told Mikan to go directly home and not to take any side trips, didn't he? Where is Mikan now? Oh boy, he's indeed in big trouble this time.

"Tsubasa, where is your sister?" his mom reminded him again.

"I don't know, mom. I told her to go home or let Nancy pick her up."

"Your father's going to be mad when he finds out, Tsubasa. Just go out and find her, okay?" his mom said, sitting down on the couch, rubbing her temples. Tsubasa went to the door. When he was about to turn the door knob, the door swung open and there stood an all-smiling and jovial Mikan. Mrs. Sakura stood abruptly and pulled Mikan in a loving embrace.

"Where have you been, young lady? You had us worried!"

"Gomen, oka-san. I'll be going to my room now. Ja!" (Sorry, mother; Later!) Mikan replied, running, more like skipping to her room humming some happy tune they didn't know of.

"Tsubasa, what did your sister have for lunch? She seems extremely happy and very high on sugar."

"I don't know, mom. I don't know." Tsubasa replied, catching up to Mikan on the stairs.

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

"Mikan, open up. It's me." Tsubasa said, standing in front of Mikan's room.

"Oh why hello, dear brother of mine." Mikan replied, letting her brother in.

"You took a side trip, didn't you?" our lad asked his sister, eyes narrowing on her while taking a seat on the couch in the brunette's room.

"No I didn't, oh dear brother of mine. I took a short cut." Mikan answered, sitting on her bed.

"A short cut? A short cut through the park?" Tsubasa retaliated, quirking an eye brow on our young lass.

"Man, nii-san. You can read me like an open book."

"Of course. You are my sister, aren't you? Unless the real Mikan got abducted by aliens and used her on their experiments. That would be cool." Mikan just rolled her eyes, trying to stifle laughter on the banality of her brother's 'joke'.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I'm corny and I get it. So, what happened?" he inquired, gazing at his sister who was busying herself in brushing her hair.

"Nothing much. The sunset was great. I wish it would last forever." Mikan answered quite bluntly.

"Oh. Are you sure? You use your 'dear brother of mine' statement when you're absolutely happy." He said, mimicking Mikan's tone of voice.

"You're erratic, you know?"

"Yeah. And I'm familiar with it. So, why are you so happy?" he replied, going back to the topic of their discussion.

"Oh nothing. Purely my business. It has nothing to do with you, nii-san." She replied, waving off the subject while continuing to brush her hair in front of the mirror. There was some kind of tension in the air as there was awkward silence which most of the time occurs when the topic is about…

"It's about **him**, isn't it?" Tsubasa said, breaking the deafening silence in the room.

"Huh? What are you talking about, nii-san?" said Mikan, tearing her gaze from the mirror to her brother.

"Don't play innocent on me, Mikan. I know it's about Natsume." He replied candidly, still seated, clenching his fists. Mikan was taken aback by his brother's statement. It was so unlike Tsubasa to act like this. She was squirming under her brother's gaze. Mikan sighed in defeat.

"Okay, fine. It's about Natsume, alright. I saw Natsume in the park. He came back, nii-san! Well, technically he broke the promise but still… He still came back! I hope it's for good now. I want to be with him again. I really missed him, nii-san… Nii-san? Earth-to-Tsubasa! You still there? Oi!" Mikan replied, waving her hand in front of Tsubasa's face. He really is fickle. His next move caught Mikan off-guard. He got a hold of Mikan's wrist and he stood up. Eyeing Mikan, he hissed "Stay away from that boy. He's bound to hurt you again, Mikan. Just trust me." With that, he walked over to the door, leaving a very stunned Mikan. He slammed the door.

'Ouch. What was that for? His grip still hurts. What's gotten into him? Must be stress. Or maybe he got rejected by Misaki-senpai.' The brunette thought to herself while preparing to go to bed. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.

* * *

**Mikan's POV**

"Madame, wake up now. It's time to prepare for the Rites." I heard a sweet feminine voice waking me up. I didn't set my alarm clock last night.

"Five more minutes, Nancy. Geez, it's a Saturday, 'ya know?" I heard myself mumble in my sleep.

"But Madame today is the day for the Baccalaureate Rites at your school. You have to get up." Nancy stated, trying to wake me up.

"The Bacca-what-so-ever rites? Oh yeah. Those kind of rites. Whatever those are. Okay… I'm up."

"Okay Madame. I'll just leave your uniform here. Your breakfast is ready, Madame. Your parents are waiting."

"Fine. I'll just take a bath. I'll come down in 15. Please tell my mother to start without me." I said as I got up, entering my bathroom.

"Okay, Madame. I'll inform your mother." Nancy said, leaving my room and closing the door behind her. As soon as I got to the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and got into the tub. I like taking hot baths in the morning. It really calms me. As soon as I was finished, I went out and put on my uniform. It was pristine and crisp. I brushed some imaginary dust off the skirt and took a seat in front of my dresser. I brushed my hair and styled it in pigtails. Then I remembered something. _'You look like a kindergarten student with pig tails, baka.'_ Oh yeah. Natsume said that I look like a kindergarten student. So, I just combed my hair and I let it down which was kind of new for me. But still… Anyways, I got up and put on my shoes and my watch. I went down to the dining room to see that my mother; father and brother were there, eating silently.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, mother, father, nii-san." I stated, bowing my head a little. I then went to my chair which was right across my mom's seat. There was a gauche silence during breakfast. It kind of seemed awkward for me. When we finished breakfast, I got to the car with my brother and I waved at my mom and dad, bidding them goodbye.

The car ride was very silent, almost tranquil. It was just me and Tsubasa; after all, Graduation would be tomorrow and not today. It was really silent during the car ride. Tsubasa and I haven't said a word to each other ever since last night's incident. I was so absorbed in my thoughts of Natsume that I didn't notice that we entered the academy gates. "We're here." I heard Tsubasa say as he pulled off. I got out the car and mumbled a soft "Ja-ne."

I reached the auditorium and was looking for Hotaru and the others. I was early this time. As I was looking around for them, I didn't notice that I was going to collide with someone. _BUMP!_ Ouch. That really hurt. I landed butt first on the floor. I stood up and was about to offer my hand when I saw whom I had bumped with. Sumire Shouda – Class Slut. It was as if she had a cardboard plastered to her forehead that said 'I'm Sumire and would you like to go on a date with me?'

"Oh look who it is. It's Mikan Sakura. The girl left behind by her best friend. Just watch where you're going, Sakura. Oh, wait. It's almost graduation. Where's your oh-so-dear best friend Natsume Hyuuga? Oh my. He's not here yet. He left you for some other girl, as I've heard. And he's not coming back… especially for you." Shouda said with her ever-so-sluttish and bitchy tone which I definitely loathe. I just rolled my eyes and answered "Thank you very much for reminding me, Shouda. I must be on my way now. It's nice to see someone like _you_ is about to graduate. Omedeto. Just one thing, Shouda. Check your sources first before saying something. We can never tell who's telling a lie and who's being honest now, wont' we? " And I flashed a fake smile. It's not hard at all to be plastic once you've been classmates with that Shouda girl. (Congratulations; Sorry for the words and content of this paragraph. You'll now the reason in my last A/N.)

At the end of the hall, I found Hotaru and the gang, sitting and chatting. I went near them and greeted them. We would all be in college next school year. It's a good thing we'll be studying at the Academy's College Division.

"Ohayo, minna-san!" I said to them. They just greeted me back and they were kind of quiet. I saw Anna and Nonoko giving me sympathetic looks. I don't know why but they seem so sad and quiet when I arrived. I wonder what's wrong with them. I saw Hotaru whisper something to Ruka. I don't know what it is but when she did, Ruka started to ask something.

"Mikan, do you know that…" Ruka started to ask me but was cut off when Jinno-sensei told us to prepare. I told them that we should go. I got up and hurried to my line. I don't want that Jin-Jin to scold me again. He's fond of it.

"What would be her reaction when she finds out?" I kind of heard Yuu say.

"I don't know." Koko blurted out, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, it's best if we let her find out for herself. After all, she is the very person concerned in this." I heard Hotaru say to all of them. Just what are they talking about?! I'm really baffled.

I got to my line and after 10 dreary minutes, I heard Narumi-sensei inside of the auditorium doors greeting everyone a 'pleasant' morning. Just then, the doors opened and they let us march in. I glanced at the stage. There were bold and colorful letters clashing with the dull and white paint of the stage. It said 'Alice Academy Baccalaureate Rites – High School Division'

**End of Mikan's POV**

* * *

**Normal POV**

Mikan and her other batch mates were now seated inside the auditorium.

"The Principal, Administrators, fellow Professors, dear Students and honored guests, a pleasant morning to all..." Narumi said over the microphone. He was the batch's Curriculum Chairperson so he was the one to give the speeches and such.

"… We are gathered here today to have the Baccalaureate Rites for our dear graduating high school students. These students have excelled in the academic field and also in other activities. We have watched them grow from petite seeds to blossoming and dainty flowers, the academy being their second home and the teachers being their second parents. These students have been through a lot; from passing the school entrance exams to enduring tough quizzes and tests and some terror-teachers…" some giggles and laughter began to emerge from this statement, some students looking directly at Jinno-sensei. "… Now, we see these students here, right before us, all ready to accept the responsibilities of being college students. Let us all give them a round of applause…" Applause erupted from the audience, mainly from the students themselves. "… My dear students, it's been an honor for me and the faculty members to teach all of you. We are very proud of you. We wish you the best in your college crossing. Good day to all." With that, Narumi got off the stage. Some other Rites and speeches were given. It was a drag for all the students. After that, they had their Baccalaureate Lunch in the Academy grounds. Mikan never got the chance to talk to Hotaru and the others again since she was practically dragged by Tsubasa to their car right after the lunch.

Inside the car, Mikan was sitting on the passenger seat leaning her head on the window frame of the car. Tsubasa was driving. Again, some awkward silence was felt in the car. None of them dared to speak. They were stuck in a traffic jam. To ease the mounting tension in the car, Tsubasa just inserted some random CD in his player. The LCD of the player reads 'Track 001 Song: Angels Artist: Within Temptation'

_Sparkling angel I believed  
You are my savior in my time of need.  
Blinded by faith I couldn't hear  
All the whispers, the warnings so clear.  
I see the angels,  
I'll lead them to your door.  
There's no escape now,  
No mercy no more.  
No remorse cause I still remember_

_The smile when you tore me apart.  
You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams,  
I wished they turn into real.  
You broke a promise and made me realize.  
It was all just a lie._

Mikan fidgeted in her seat. When she heard the chorus of the song, it reminded her of Natsume and the promise.

_Sparkling angel, I couldn't see  
Your dark intentions, your feelings for me.  
Fallen angel, tell me why?  
What is the reason, the thorn in your eye?  
I see the angels,  
I'll lead them to your door  
There's no escape now  
No mercy no more  
No remorse cause I still remember_

_The smile when you tore me apart  
You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams,  
I wished they turn into real.  
You broke the promise and made me realize.  
It was all just a lie.  
Could have been forever.  
Now we have reached the end._

It was as if Tsubasa was making her realize something in this song. She just shrugged off the thought, preoccupying herself by playing a game on her cell phone.

_This world may have failed you,  
It doesn't give you a reason why.  
You could have chosen a different path in life._

_The smile when you tore me apart.  
You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams,  
I wished they turn into real.  
You broke the promise and made me realize.  
It was all just a lie.  
Could have been forever.  
Now we have reached the end._

Man, was Tsubasa trying to make her realize something through the song? She couldn't concentrate on her game! _'Dammit. What the hell is this song trying to tell to me? Ughhh. I couldn't focus on this game because of that blasted song.'_ She thought to herself. She couldn't stand it anymore. She turned the player off.

"What was that for?" Tsubasa asked, hands on the steering wheel, turning to Mikan.

"It was bothersome and disturbing. I'm not into those kinds of songs." Mikan answered, a bit aggravated, avoiding his brother's stare. She just busied herself with her game. Tsubasa didn't avert his gaze from Mikan. He just sat there in the driver's seat, watching Mikan's every action. With Mikan, she felt like Tsubasa was burning a hole through her skin. She can't stand the feeling of someone gawking at her. She let out a groan.

"What are you looking at, Tsubasa? You should be driving, you know." Mikan snapped at him, annoyed.

"Sorry sis, but I can't. Don't want to get my car and the other cars damaged. Look in front of you. Traffic jam. Tra-ffic-jam." He replied, with a hint of amusement in his voice. He got Mikan there. She just let out an exasperated sigh and sidetracked herself by looking out the window, only to see other cars passing by in the opposite direction. This was turning out to be one long and arduous day.

* * *

They got home and were greeted by Nancy since their parents were still out. Mikan headed to her room, not bothering to greet the other people in the house. She was in a very bad mood today. First, she got herself in a fight with her brother, and then she met Shouda along the way. Not only that but she was still confused of how her friends have been acting toward her. And now she heard a song that's stuck to her mind. This day is clearly not Mikan's. As she got to her room, she took off her shoes and changed into some nice clothes. She jumped on her bed and just lied down, savoring the soft feeling of her bed. '_You broke the promise and made me realize. It was all just a lie.' _The lines of the song just won't leave her! 

"Urggghhhhhh! I can't take it anymore. Dammit! Why won't that stupid line just stop ringing in my head?" she screamed with a pillow covering her whole face. That was the last straw. She's pissed off. And she doesn't even have the appetite to eat her dinner tonight. She just needs some shut eye.

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

Mikan woke up to the ringing of her alarm clock. It was Graduation Day. The last day for her at the high school division, and boy was she glad to know that. She got up, did her daily routines and put on her uniform. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looks nice. She brushed her hair and she tied half of her hair in a pony tail, leaving the other half hanging loose on her shoulders. She put on some light powder and got her watch from her bedside table. She went out of her room and downstairs to the dining area where she found her parents and brother in their seats, having some small talk while eating.

"Good morning, mother, father and to you too, Tsubasa." She said while taking her seat.

"Eat now, Mikan or we'll be late." Her father reminded her. She just nodded and started eating. After breakfast was over, she got inside her parents' car with her dad driving. Tsubasa went to school using his car. It was finally graduation day.

Mikan got to her line in the auditorium. There she saw Hotaru, Ruka, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu and Koko already in their respective lines. They would finally be graduating and it was for real, not just any dream she had. As soon as the auditorium doors were opened, they marched inside to the graduation marching song. After that, there stood their principal, giving a speech which Mikan didn't really listen to. She was distracted, with her thoughts lingering on a certain raven-haired boy. She had that faraway look in her eyes while scanning the whole auditorium with her chocolate orbs. She was out of her trance when applause came from the audience, marking the end of the speech.

Time passed by as if just the wink of an eye. One moment, Mikan was just sitting in her seat, listening to the boring speeches, the next she was in the stage, receiving her diploma. It was fast for our brunette, too fast.

'_I wish this would not end in a matter of minutes or seconds.'_ Thought our lass as she was flashing a somewhat fake smile to the photographer.

'_This is all happening really fast. It's finally graduation day.'_ Letting out an incensed sigh.

'_And he has not shown himself yet. And where is he going anyways?'_ She sighed as she walked back to her seat, not bothering to look at her parents.

'_I really don't understand him at all. I never did understand him and I guess I will never be able to.' _

'_Why did he have to leave me alone, anyways? He was always like that, keeping secrets. And I guess he is, up until now.'_ She hung her head low, her auburn bags, covering her eyes, trying to prevent the tears that were threatening to flow down.

'_Maybe if I just died, I wouldn't be enduring this pain of losing someone like him.'_ Mikan thought, turning a bit pessimistic.

Her train of thoughts was cut off when…

"Baka. Baka. Mikan, are you alright?" Hotaru asked with her ever-so-emotionless face and voice, trying to be soft and gentle on the girl.

"Huh? Oh hi, Hotaru. Yes, I'm fine." Mikan answered giving her best friend a faint smile.

"You don't look well, baka." Hotaru said, affixing her look on the stage. _'What's wrong with this girl? One time she's all cheerful, then the next, she has that dazed look in her eyes. I guess it's about the Natsume issue. Does she know yet that-'_

"May we know call on Miss Hotaru Imai to give her Valedictory Speech." Hotaru stood up and while doing so, gave Mikan a pat on the shoulder. She gave her a faint smile.

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

"Master Natsume, we should be heading home now. Your fi-"

"Yes, I know, Mark. But I'd like to stay for a while to see that little girl and to hear what that Imai is going to say." He replied quite bluntly. They were sitting at the back row of the balcony inside the auditorium where guests can stay. He and Mark, his driver was just there, looking forward to what Imai has to say. Many wouldn't recognize him now. He had a well-built body and to top it all, he was just tall and handsome. Maybe people would identify him if he speaks, but does our dear Natsume like speaking? No. He likes grunting. His physical appearance has changed a lot over the course of years.

"A good morning to all of you. First of all, I would like to tell you how much I owe this academy. This academy has given me great friends and good academic skills. I can never forget the teachers who really helped a lot in this school and my circle of friends. Thank you all very much. I would also like to tell my parents my sincerest thanks for..."

"Master Natsume, we should really be going now. You know how your mother acts when you come home late." Mark said, reminding Natsume.

"Hn." Was what he got as a reply.

"…I wish all of you a wonderful college life and a good day to all." Applause was heard after Hotaru Imai's speech. She went back to her seat which was right beside Mikan's.

"That was very inspiring, Hotaru. I really like it." Mikan whispered to her while they resumed the program. Hotaru just nodded and glanced her way, giving her a very soft smile.

"Now, our graduates are going to sing their Graduation Song." Said Narumi over the microphone. The piano starts to play and they start to sing.

"At the Beginning with You"

_We were strangers__  
__Starting out on a journey__  
__Never dreaming__  
__What we'd have to go through__  
__Now here we are__  
__And I'm suddenly standing__  
__At the beginning with you_

_No one told me__  
__I was going to find you__  
__Unexpected__  
__What you did to my heart__  
__When I lost hope__  
__You were there to remind me__  
__This is the start_

_Life is a road__  
__And I want to keep going__  
__Love is a river__  
__I wanna keep flowing__  
__Life is a road__  
__Now and forever__  
__Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there__  
__When the world stops turning__  
__I'll be there__  
__When the storm is through__  
__In the end I wanna be standing__  
__At the beginning with you_

'_Yes, Natsume, I want to be standing with you here right now. But that is impossible. I wish that it could be, though.' 'Baka! What are you thinking?'_

_We were strangers__  
__On a crazy adventure__  
__Never dreaming__  
__How our dreams would come true__  
__Now here we stand__  
__Unafraid of the future__  
__At the beginning with you_

_Life is a road__  
__And I want to keep going__  
__Love is a river__  
__I wanna keep flowing__  
__Life is a road__  
__Now and forever__  
__Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there__  
__When the world stops turning__  
__I'll be there__  
__When the storm is through__  
__In the end I wanna be standing__  
__At the beginning with you_

'_Yes, Natsume. I really wish you were here so our circle of friends would be complete. I really miss you, idiot. Where are you, anyways? I don't even know where you are and now, I'm standing here, dreaming that you would share this moment with me. I'm really ditzy and unbelievable.'_

_I knew there was somebody somewhere__  
__Like me alone in the dark__  
__Now I know my dream will live on__  
__I've been waiting so long__  
__Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

_Life is a road__  
__And I want to keep going__  
__Love is a river__  
__I wanna keep flowing__  
__Life is a road__  
__Now and forever__  
__Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there__  
__When the world stops turning__  
__I'll be there__  
__When the storm is through__  
__In the end I wanna be standing__  
__At the beginning with you_

_Life is a road and I wanna keep going__  
__Love is a river I wanna keep going on...__  
__Starting out on a journey__  
__Life is a road and I wanna going__  
__Love is river I wanna keep flowing__  
__In the end I wanna be standing__  
__At the beginning with you._

Mikan just clutched Hotaru's hands with hers. They looked at each other and Mikan beamed a smile at her best friend. For the first time in years, Hotaru returned her smile with one that is genuine and true.

* * *

It was sunny outside the auditorium. But our young brunette didn't notice this. She was so absorbed in her thoughts about a crimson-eyed boy. She didn't even notice that her friends were calling her for a photograph. 

"Mikan, hurry up! We don't want to miss this moment that our dear valedictorian is smiling, now would we?" Koko yelled at her.

"Definitely." She replied, running towards them.

Pictures were taken here and there and Mikan was exhausted from all that smiling. _'Maybe I'll go to the Sakura Tree after all of this. But I don't want my parents to go with me there. Hmmm… I'll just tell them I need to do something. That's it!' _

**Sakura Tree**

"Young master, we should be going now. It's awfully late and-" Mark started but was abruptly cut off by Natsume's raised hand, signaling that he needs to quiet down.

"I know, Mark. I know." _'I'm quite amazed that this tree is still here. It brings a lot of memories; memories of my friends back then and my memories of __**her**__.' _There was a very serene silence that enveloped the both of them. A gust of wind blew and the raven-haired boy spoke again. "Let's go, Mark."

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

Mikan reached the Sakura Tree, panting slightly. She assured her parents that she was just going somewhere for a while. They didn't seem to look convinced but they let her go, seeing as she has memorized the whole school. Though she did feel like someone was following her, she just shrugged the thought away, resting her head against the bark of the tree and leaning her small and petite frame on it. Mikan heaved a sigh_. 'So long to this tree. It would be summer again. I won't be able to see you until school will start again. By then, I would be in college. You have been the witness to my life, you know. You saw me here being happy with my friends, crying my heart out and all of that stuff. What am I thinking?'_ Again, she sighed gazing up to the heavens, silently pleading that this would last. _'Mata kimi ni aitai, Natsume-kun.'_

"You know, Tsubasa, maybe you should tell Mikan all there is to know about the past five years. Maybe she'll understand the situation better." Misaki told her best friend. They were perched up on the balcony of one of the elementary buildings where one can see the Sakura Tree.

"I wish I could, Misaki. I just wish I could. But it would hurt her even more."

.0.0.0.0.0.0.

**End of Chapter**

**  
**

* * *

**A/N:** Man, that was kind of longer than I expected. Thoughts just popped in my head while sitting in the computer chair writing this while some random song was playing. 'Mata kimi ni aitai' means 'I want to see you again' I hope you guys liked this chapter and thank for all the reviews. Also, I would want to say that this story is kind of based in real life. I wrote this story to soothe my longing of writing something. I would just want to write what really happened but that won't make it exciting and you won't even read it so I basically changed the whole plot. Also, I apologize for the choice of words since the scene where Mikan bumped into Sumire kind of happened in real life. But it was a bit different than that under some circumstances. And also, I would want to include more Japanese in this but I just can speak Japanese and not actually write. Gomen. I hope this chapter compensates for my really crazy updating schedule (if I have one). I just write when I feel the urge to. 

BTW: For Mikan, Natsume broke the promise since he just showed up and it didn't actually turn out like what she wanted them to be - The best of friends again. And also, I accept flames.!

Review Responses:

sherea: Thanks for the review!

Iysabelle: Thanks for dropping by. I'm sure the next chapters will tell you why he left again.

may520: Thanks for leaving a review. As I've said, just watch out in the next chapters. I actually don't know myself where he is going. I have to figure that out. lol

'orange-ideas': Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like it. Hope you liked this chapter too!

j531823: And thank you for the review and the encouraging words.

Aiko: I'm pretty sure you are familiar with the auditorium since I based the whole graduation thing in the auditorium of Conco. My present school's 'auditorium' is too small to be even called an auditorium. Hehe.. Thanks for the review!

cupidsangel: Thank you for the review and I'm glad that you like my story. I hope you like this chapter.

glenda23: The upcoming chapters will clear everything up. (I hope) I'm not sure myself where Natsume is going. But I guess I have the next 2 chapters working in my head.

desolator05: I too love happy endings. Rest assured that this fic is going to have a happy ending. (or maybe not. Depending on my mood. lol) Thanks for the review.

KaTLeYa KaSSaNdRA KaReN LiN: Thanks for the review. Yes, that is how I pictured Youichi without Natsume's influence. XD

Special Thanks to my senpai – russianpopprincess and my kouhais – 'orange-ideas'; xXmizukazeXx and my dear best friends, Jason, James and Josephine (thanks for putting up with me all these years). 'Till the next chapter!

Erinn


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